wwii booklet

Today’s post will be a little different than most of my typical photographically-centered material. Various government offices and departments printed these for a multitude of reasons. Some were printed by the Red Cross, others were aimed at health and hygiene, some were distributed by the Stars and Stripes to help wounded soldiers feel a bond with their Division or branch of the Army, while others were directed towards tourism and cultural sensitivity. All the scans in today’s post are from my collection and have been picked up over the years for a few dollars each. Some are very common, while others are scarce. The most popular amongst collectors are the divisional histories printed and put out by the Stars and Stripes. Some can fetch upwards of $100 US.

Many of the artists and writers for these publications are unknown and lost to history. In a few cases I’ve been able to track down the names of the original illustrators. Here are a few that I’ve researched for this website:

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And here are some illustrated booklets which were printed in order to direct US service members stationed or visiting foreign countries:

A Pocket Guide to Luxembourg “Do you know Luxembourg?”

Pocket Guide to the Dutch East Indies

Welcome to Australia

How to See Paris “For the Soldiers of the Allied Armies”

Pocket Guide to the Cities of the Netherlands

Pocket Guide to Paris and Cities of Northern France

Pocket Guide to Egypt

Pocket Guide to France

A Short Guide to Iraq

Pocket Guide to Australia

And here’s an obscure language guide specifically printed for US soldiers, marines and airmen in Iceland.

TM 30-313 Language Guide to Icelandic

This one was given out by Coca-Cola as a notebook and calendar:

WWII Coca-Cola Notebook

These two booklets were aimed at keeping sailors from catching venereal diseases while away on shore leave:

Shore Convoy for Merchant Seamen

Hull Down – Guide to Venereal Diseases in Japan

This rare booklet was a pro-socialist publication”

Victory Through Unionism

Here are some example of divisional histories put out at the end of the war:

Terrify and Destroy – Story of the 10th Armored Division

The 45th Division

“Right to be Proud” – 65th Division Unit History

And these were focused on specific service branches:

American Red Cross Nurses

The Special Service Division

Coastal Artillery Corps – “We Keep ’em Falling!”

Combat Engineers

And some are tough to categorize:

Field Fortifications Guide

Australian Booklet

Ellington Field

How to Hatch a Nest Egg – War Department Pamphlet No. 21-19

29 Gripes About the Filipinos

WWII Booklets are one of my favorite avenues of military ephemera collecting. The small print runs, unique artwork, and theater-made feel make them a fun and easy collectible. I picked up a copy of Stilwell Road: Story of the Ledo Lifeline this past week on eBay and was excited to leaf through the pages looking for possible research/blogpost material. Immediately impressed by the artwork and layout, I decided to do a little sleuthing into the identity of the artist. Luckily, his name was printed in the back of the booklet. Corporal Sidney Kotler obviously had an eye for illustration and technical art. In my typical fashion, I plowed ahead with some research!

After searching around google and ancestry.com I was able to find that Mr. Kotler passed away in 1999. This is sadly becoming the norm when researching viable identified WWII material. Luckily, I was able to track down the daughter of Mr. Kotler and uncover a wealth of material about his life and war service.

The following is from Mr. Kotlers daughter:

Sidney Kotler was born in Berdichev, Ukraine in the winter of 1912 into dire poverty. His brother Shlomo died of dysentery in bed next to him at the age of ten. His uncle was abducted by the Czar’s army. His family decided to take no chances in the politically embroiled Ukraine. Every time a militia came into town, his mother would hide the children under the floorboards of her house. One of Sidney’s brothers, Dave, told the story about a Cossack who found the boys hiding. He told them to keep quiet and put the floor boards back in place. They were saved!

After several attempts, Sidney, his mother and 3 brother made it across the Polish border and managed to slip into England and eventually “over the pond” to the USA. In 1927 the family came to St. Louis Missouri where his father Isaac had preceded them. “Sid” attended art school at Washington University in the early 1930s and did some apprenticing on the side to help bolster his portfolio. He found a job after his WU classes as a commercial artist working with the St. Louis Dispatch and Globe Democrat Newspapers, where he worked on advertising for newspapers, magazines, and other illustrative ventures. After the war, he worked with the Ford Motor Company art department in the Dearborn, Michigan headquarters.

WWII, Sidney Kotler in the middle with a moustache

Sid was proud of his army service. It made him feel like the true American that he fought hard to become. By pulling himself up from the bootstraps, he was able to attain the American Dream. His service in the China/Burma/India theater was not easy; he was on the first convoy over the Burma Road with the 18th Battalion. The construction of the road was an arduous job, and Sid played his part without an utterance of frustration. Besides his field duty, he was the unit artist, sketching hundreds of illustrations for the unit publications as well as the Stars and Stripes CBI newsletter. He kept in touch with his army buddies most of his life. Sid’s children fondly remember visiting one family in particular: the Buchanans.

WWII, Sidney Kotler and buddy

In 1946 Sid married Elsie Fleishman. The had four children two girls and two boys. In 1952 the moved to Detroit where Sid began working as a graphic artist for Ford Motor Company. He inspired me to study painting. After his retirement from Ford he continued painting. His incredible artwork festoons his family’s homes; magnificent landscapes and portraits dot the walls of his daughter Shira’s walls. Sidney’s descendants include 9 bright and beautiful grandchildren. Sid lived his life like a true patriot; he served his country, raised a stellar family, and left a legacy that will live for generations to come.

A special thanks goes out to Shira Chai and Mark Kotler for sharing the preceding passages as well as all the wonderful photos and illustrations. Your father was a wonderful artist, and helped play an important part in American history!